Charles miller



om orne@ UHARLES MILLER, Oli-'NEW YORK, N. Y.

BoTToN'i-ioLE-Moisrsn'sa SPEGIFICATION forming paz-t of Letters 'Patent No. 548,572, dated October 22, i395. Application filed June 2l, 1895. Serial No. 553,605. (No mode-l.)

To @ZE when@ it may concern-.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES MILLER, of New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Buttonholediloistener,of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to a device for meistening buttonholes; and the object of the invention is to provide a device of sim`ple,durable, and economic construction, through the inedium of which the starohed surface of an article of wearing apparel at the margin of the buttonholes may be expeditiously and ccnveniently nioistened to enable the but'tonhole to be more readily manipulated--as, for instance, preparatory to buttoning a garment.

` ber'of the box-body The invention cnsists in the novel con-l struction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, t'orrninfr a part of this specification,

in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a perspective view of the buttonholemoistener. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section taken substantially on the line 2 2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical transverse sectional View taken substantially on the line of Fig. 25 and Fig. 4 is a perspective View of a modified form of the moistener. In carrying ont the invention-in the preferred form of the device, a head A is provided oi' substantially boxlike construction, and-this box may be of any desired shape, that shown in the drawings being somewhat elliptical and is to be preferred. The front face of the said box-body has a series of apertures 10 produced therein, and a lip 11, of substantially Wedge-like construction or-of tapering form, is made to extend from the central portion of the apertured face of the box-body, being at a right angle to said face, and this lip is adapted to be passed into the buttonhole in order to guide the apertures 10 to the surface of the garment at the margin of the buttonhole. `A sponge 12,01' other absorbent material, is placed within the charnand in engagement with the apertured face thereof, while an opening is made in the centralportion of the back of the body,sur.rounded by a sleeve or collar 13.

vthe back of the body, made in this hollow or tubular stem or rod 15 Y A plunger le is held to slide in the chamber of the box-body and is adapted to compress the sponge or absorbent material l2. A tubular rod l5 is attachedto the said plunger and extends out through the collared opening in and apertures lo are at a point near the plunger Ligas is best shown in Fig. 3, the said, tubular stem or rod being secured toga hollow handle 17, serving as a reservoirfor water, the handle being provided with a suitable cap 18, as shown in Figs. l and 2. Aspring'lQ is coiled practieallyaround the outer portion of the tubular stem or rod 15having a bearing against the head or body A of the device and against the forward end ot the handle, and this spring normally draws the plunger la to an engagement with the back of the head or body A, as illustrated'in Fig. 2, and at that-time the apertures in the stem ofthe plunger will be closed by the collar 13 of the head or body.

In operation, the lip 1l is introduced into the buttonhole and the handle is pressed in the direction ot the garment containing the buttonhole, whereby the box-body A. is carried in engagement with the buttonhole, around the margin thereof. The plunger will therefore be carried forward against the sponge land at the Sametime the water from the handle will flow into the head through the openings in the stein of the plunger and will meisten the sponge in advance of its engagement by the plunger, so that when the wet sponge is pressed sufficient water will be forced out through the openings 10 in the' body or head to meisten the surface of the garment at the margin4 of the buttouhole. This device is exceedingly simple and convenient.

In Fig. el I have illustrated a slight modification of thedevice, in which the sponge 20 is given a substantially conical or tapering shape, and is secured upon a handle 2l, consisting of a strip of metal bent upon itself to form a parallel member 22.3.1; one end, the sponge being clamped between the body of the handle and the member 22, and the two parte are riveted or otherwise secured. Under this construction the sponge must be dampened from a supply of water `near at hand, whereas in thevother form of the device ICICv the vdampening of the sponge is automatically performed with the moisteningo the buttonhole. f The point ot this modied tapering' moistener is formed by the metallic Bandlestrip, which forms a guide to enter the buttonhole and canse the sponge to meisten the same.

Having thus described my invention, claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentr- 1. A device for moistening button holes, the same consisting of a handle havingr an absorbentmaterial at one'of its ends, held for contact with the margin of a button hole, and a guide to enter and. open the buttonhole, as andstor the purpose set forth.

' 2. In a device for moisteningr button holes, a reservoir, a moistening material in communication with the reservoir, and adapted to be directed to the margin of a button hole for the purpose of moisteningr the same, and a guide to enter and open the button hole, as

and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a device for moistening button holes, a reservoir for liquid, a moietening material in valved communication with the reservoir and adapted to be directed to the margin of a bnttonl1ole, and a guide adapted to enter the button hole, as and for the purpose specified.

4. A device for xnoistening button holes, tbe same consisting of -a reservoir, an apertured head, an absorbent material contained Within the head, a plunger located within tne head and adapted to compress the absorbent matelal, a tubular connection between the rosen 3 voir and head, and. means, substantially as described, for cutting off the snpplyof liqnid 'from the reservoir, as and for tne purpose set forth.

5. In a device for mostening button holesu the combination, withan apertnre' bead er body provided with a guide to enter a button hole, t'ne apertures being adapted to be directed to the surjtaee surrounding the button hole, and an absorbent. material contained in the head and held in engagementwith the apertured face thereof, o a springcontrolled plunger located within the head, having a tubular stem apertured near its inner end, a reservoir connected with tbe tnbnlar plunger stem, and a cnt-off for the apen tures in the said stem, as and for 'the purpose set forth.

CHARLES MlLLER.

Witnesses:

J. FRED. Annan; C. Ssnewron. 

